It’s a real pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for Spring Breeze, the latest book from Angela Barton: independently published on 30th September, it’s now available for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) and in paperback (and isn’t that cover just absolutely gorgeous?).
Read back in 2018, and one of my books of the year, I can still remember how much I loved Arlette’s Story – a love story at its heart, a rural idyll destroyed, an unexpected depth of detail about real wartime events and experiences, combined with a really powerful and totally riveting story (you’ll find my review here). Her next book, Magnolia House, was very different, but also very much enjoyed – a strong and believable contemporary romance, with well-drawn characters striving to overcome the odds and find their happy endings (you can read my review again here). You’ve Got My Number followed – sadly another book I just couldn’t fit into my reading list, but Angela joined me with an excellent guest post on using the written word as an outlet for negative emotions (you can read it again here).
It’s so lovely to see her back, and I was really delighted to read that her latest was, once more, a book with a Second World War setting. I’m so sorry I don’t have a review to share with you today – I just couldn’t find the reading time, however much I wanted to, but I do really hope to be able to catch up with this one later. But let’s take a closer look…
Paris, June 1940.
The enemy has entered the city and Matilde Pascale hopes to sink into the shadows for the entirety of the war. However, when tragedy strikes it changes everything and Matilde focuses on revenge in order to fight back against the Nazis and their heinous crimes against humanity.
But life sometimes takes a bizarre twist and it seems that love has a way of infiltrating the most impenetrable of boundaries. A common purpose drives two enemies into each other’s arms and together they discover the capacity of their combined strength.
So, no review today, but I’m really delighted to welcome Angela as my guest, with a post on writing about real people in historical fiction. Over to you, Angela…
Thank you so much, Anne, for being a part of Spring Breeze’s book tour. Your generosity and support means so much to authors. (Thank you Ange…!)
Including a real person from history in a work of fiction is a delicate balancing act between fact and imagination. It’s important to me that I portray them respectfully, write about them as accurately as possible and aim to honour the truth of who they were. I’m writing about a person who once lived and breathed and walked this earth, someone whose descendants are living today.
Thankfully I’m not writing a biography about a particular person, I’m simply introducing them to one of my characters in conversation or scene. As long as I keep truthful to their personality, I don’t make them say anything controversial or against their own beliefs, I’m at ease including them in my storyline. I spend a lot of time researching the real people I’m going to write about and do so with the knowledge that some readers will have preconceived ideas about them. As writers, we must be wary of shattering an image others have about people from history.
One character in Spring Breeze is Hans Engel. He admires Picasso having studied him at university, but because he’s a German soldier, Hans is forced to enter the artist’s studio and destroy a particular piece of artwork. Picasso plays an important part in this particular scene. He doesn’t say too much, but what he does say reflects aspects of his true personality, his courage, wit and sarcasm. Here Picasso opens his studio door to German soldiers…
A small, almost delicate man opened the door. ‘Yet another visit? Such an honour.’
He stood aside and allowed the soldiers to enter. The studio was littered with objects: sculptures, paintings and equipment that Hans longed to explore. A floor-to-ceiling stove stood in the centre of one wall. He looked at the artist, who returned his gaze with the piercing black eyes of a hypnotist. The commander broke the silence and spoke in competent French.
‘Monsieur Picasso. We have come for the black and white painting. News has reached us that it’s still here.’
Hans was mesmerized. He couldn’t quite believe that he was standing next to this great man. He could reach out and touch a man whose work he had studied at university. He watched the Spaniard smile, self-assured and composed.
‘As you see,’ said Picasso, ‘this is my studio, so naturally my artwork is here.’ He splayed the fingers of his right hand and indicated his work with the sweep of his arm.
Hans could feel his heart beating fast. The smell of paint, rags soaked in oil of turpentine, and wood smoke, all awakened something that had long since been dulled by war. He knew that the control of art and other cultural expressions was an important part of German power, but control of an artist’s creativity was abhorrent to him. He also knew why Adolf Hitler found the power of so-called degenerate art so detestable. It probably made him feel insecure. It had the capability to undermine him and influence people. Challenge authority. It could embody the identity of a person. A community. A country.
I’m a great admirer of Irène Némirovsky’s writing, her books made all the more remarkable because she wrote about WW2 during that actual time of history. Here is an excerpt from Spring Breeze when my protagonist, Matilde Pascale, meets her old friend unexpectedly in church.
The nave smelled of incense and the bitter sweetness of wooden pews. Two candles stood sentinel on the altar, their flames dancing in the kaleidoscope of colour from sunlight streaming in through stained-glass windows. Several people were scattered among the pews waiting their turn to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. A dark-haired woman came out of the confessional box, an unfastened scarf draped over her hair and hiding her face. She sat on the bench in front of Matilde and lowered her head in prayer. After a few moments, the woman glanced up at the huge crucifix hanging above the altar and closed her eyes, her lips moving in silent prayer. Her profile caught Matilde’s attention. Was she an old acquaintance? The writer Irène Nemirovsky? Matilde leant forwards and whispered her name.
‘Irène.’
A familiar oval face, with mahogany brown eyes, turned and looked at her. The woman’s face softened in recognition and she shuffled along the pew. They kissed each other’s cheeks and spoke at the same time.
‘So lovely to see you.’
‘How are you?’ asked Matilde. ‘It must be almost a year since we’ve spoken.’
‘Yes, it must be. I think it was last autumn’s harvest festival, not that there was much to offer by way of food if I remember.’ Irène’s laugh was soft and light.
‘How are Michel and the girls?’ asked Matilde.
The smile disappeared. ‘We’re managing. It’s hard for everyone. They wouldn’t let Michel continue working at the bank and my writing can no longer be published.’
‘Why? You were doing so well.’
‘Because of this.’ She pulled open a thin shawl that was draped around her shoulders to reveal a yellow felt star pinned on her blouse.
‘But you’ve all converted to Roman Catholicism.’
Irène shrugged. ‘Yes, a couple of years ago now, but they won’t accept it. Our Jewish ancestry is recorded everywhere so we can’t become French citizens.’ She leant towards Matilde and whispered, ‘Thankfully the newspaper Gringoire still publishes some of my work under a different name.’
‘But are you safe here? Shouldn’t you try and leave the city?’
‘Our daughters are safe. We went to stay with their nanny’s parents in Issy-l’Evêque at the beginning of all this, but Michel and I occasionally return to check on our home and collect a few more personal bits and pieces. We’re going back down south in a few days’ time and we’ll stay there and wait out the war in the village.’
‘That’s very wise, but how will you cross into unoccupied France without papers and wearing a star?’
I hope you enjoyed reading the short excerpts from Spring Breeze and huge thanks to Anne for hosting a blog and supporting authors.
Love Ange x
My absolute pleasure, and thank you for such a lovely post – and I now want to read the book even more!
Giveaway
With thanks to Angela and Rachel, I’m delighted to offer one lucky reader (open to Europe only) the chance to win a Parisian tote bag, a Spring Breeze notebook and Hotel Chocolat Pink Champagne chocolates.
Here’s the rafflecopter for entry:
Terms and Conditions European entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
About the author
Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She has three grown up children and loves to spend time with her eight-year-old twin granddaughters and a new baby granddaughter born Christmas 2021.
In 2018 Angela signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme, a member of the Society of Authors and also Ellipses and Ampersands’ fiction critique group.
Angela is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching for her novels. She lived in France whilst writing Spring Breeze and explored Paris and its catacombs.
Angela is busy writing her fifth novel set in France during WW2. Her next story takes us away from the capital to the Pyrenees bordering Spain.
In addition to writing, Angela also relaxes by making landscapes using free motion sewing on a machine and has a small online gift business at www.buttonmooncreations.com.
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It certainly is a gorgeous cover.
Huge thanks for joining my book tour, Anne. You’re looking fabulous, by the way! xx
Many thanks Ange – I just wish I could have shared a review because this book looks rather fabulous too! xx